His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday held talks with US President Barack Obama at the White House where the two leaders discussed bilateral ties, the latest developments in the Middle East and means to relaunch peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Obama voiced support for Jordan’s reform efforts and pledged further American assistance to the Kingdom to help it counter the current economic situation.

In statements following a meeting with King Abdullah in the Oval Office, Obama said the US plans to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to assist Jordan.

“His Majesty discussed the reform efforts that are taking place inside Jordan… and we welcome the initiatives that His Majesty has already embarked on, and feel confident that, to the extent that he’s able to move these reforms forward, this will be good for the security and stability of Jordan, but also will be good for the economic prosperity of the people of Jordan. And so we’re very pleased to support him on that front,” Obama said.

King Abdullah voiced appreciation for US support of the Kingdom as well as regional peace efforts.

“I’m delighted to be back here and again take this opportunity to thank you and your government for the tremendous support that you’re showing Jordan economically… to push reform in an aggressive manner in our country, and again your continued interest and support on the core issue of the Middle East, which is Israeli and Palestinian peace,” King Abdullah said in a statement.

In addition, the meeting delved into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and highlighted the need to get the parties back to the negotiating table, particularly in view of the changes sweeping the region.

“Jordan, obviously, with its own peace with Israel, has an enormous stake in this. The United States has an enormous stake in this. We will continue to partner to try to encourage an equitable and just solution to a problem that has been nagging the region for many, many years,” said the president.

During the talks, King Abdullah stressed that addressing all final status issues, including borders, refugees and Jerusalem, is a prerequisite for the lasting peace that people aspire for and defend, warning that the current challenges in the region must not hinder efforts to achieve peace, security and regional stability.

In his statement, he commended the US government and president’s efforts to help achieve a final settlement of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying that Jordan is “very grateful for the president’s role in all these issues… And I will continue to be a strong partner with you, sir, on all the challenges that we face.”

Obama said the summit offered the two leaders the opportunity to share views on other developments in the Middle East.

“I have valued His Majesty’s advice on numerous occasions, and obviously this meeting was an opportunity for us to share our views on the extraordinary changes that are taking place throughout the Middle East, throughout the region,” he said, adding that the talks also addressed the situation in Libya and Arab support for humanitarian efforts in that country, as well as the situation in Egypt and Tunisia.

The American president noted that he and King Abdullah “agreed that it’s critical that not only does political reform proceed, but economic reform accompanies those changes there, because so much of what’s taking place has to do with the aspirations of young people throughout the Arab world… to determine their own fate, to get an education, to get a job, to be able to support a family.”

“And that means some of the old structures that were inhibiting their ability to progress have to be reworked,” Obama added.

He concluded his statement by paying tribute to the security and counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.

Also during the meeting, the King briefed the US president on Jordan’s political reform drive, through which the Kingdom seeks to set a positive example in the region, referring to the mission of the National Dialogue Committee and the panel reviewing the Constitution.

King Abdullah said that the outcomes of these committees will contribute to the Kingdom’s democratic reform process.

He also highlighted the economic challenges facing the Kingdom and measures adopted to overcome them, voicing appreciation of US support for Jordan to achieve sustained development and enhance the performance of the local economy.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan, Royal Court Adviser Amer Hadidi, and Jordan’s Ambassador in Washington Alia Bouran attended the meeting.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daly, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Special Assistant to the US President Dennis Ross, among other US officials, were present at the meeting.

Earlier on Tuesday, King Abdullah met with US Vice President Joe Biden and discussed bilateral ties and regional developments.